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Upper Grand teacher receives grant to link classroom learning to community problem-solving

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release
December 4, 2013

GUELPH, Ontario — Cathy Dykstra, a Grade 6 teacher at Erin P.S. has received a $1,500 State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant to lead her class in a semester-long service and learning project to encourage the school and local community to use reusable drinking containers.

This class project began in early October and will continue through Global Youth Service Day, April 11-13, 2014. Throughout the school year, her students, “The Water Rockers”, will research world and local water issues and reusable container pros and cons. Through posters, announcements, and assemblies, they will educate the staff and students of their school to encourage everyone to use reusable drinking containers daily. They will also be given the responsibility of selling their newly-designed water bottles with the logo “Erin: Our local water rocks!”.

In addition, with the support of “Transition Erin” (a local environmental group), approximately once a month the students will walk downtown to interact with the store owners and have discussions with them about water and reusable containers. The ultimate goal is for all store owners in Erin to join the “BLUE W Program”, a program where customers with reusable containers can get free water refills and discounts on coffee and tea (where applicable). Different student leaders will be assigned to specific roles throughout the water bottle initiative, including writing weekly articles for the Erin Advocate newspaper and online school newsletter and speaking on the local radio station. 

Andrea Cuthbert, a grade 6 parent and an active member of “Transition Erin”, has been working side-by-side with Cathy Dykstra to co-plan all of the project steps and details. Also, Jeremy O’Donnell, a State Farm agent in Orangeville, has generously agreed to support the project, in both time and funds.

Cathy Dykstra is one of 75 State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant recipients for the 2013-2014 academic year. The competitive grants, offered by State Farm in partnership with YSA (Youth Service America), support educators in YSA’s Semester of Service™, an extended service and learning framework that engages students in addressing real-world needs in their communities by connecting service activities with intentional learning goals and academic standards. Independent evaluations confirm that Semester of Service has a positive significant impact on student engagement and related measures of academic achievement.

“Many congratulations to this teacher and her group of students as they embark on a Semester of Service; it is one of the most effective ways we have to enhance student achievement and improve communities,” said Steven A. Culbertson, president and CEO of YSA. “Thanks are due to State Farm, who for twelve years has partnered with YSA to support high-impact, high-quality service and service-learning.” 

For more information: 

National Media Contact:
Laura Binz, Communications Manager
YSA (Youth Service America)
202-650-5059 [email protected] 

Maggie McFadzen, Communications Officer
519-822-4420 ext.725
[email protected]  

Categories: Media Releases